| Burhanpur | |
| Other Name: | [1] |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Pushpin Map: | India Madhya Pradesh#India3 |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Coordinates: | 21.3114°N 76.2289°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Madhya Pradesh |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Burhanpur |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1380 |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Smt. Madhuri Atul Patel (BJP)[2] |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 34.6 |
| Elevation M: | 247 |
| Population Total: | 210891 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Hindi[3] |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
| Postal Code Type: | PIN |
| Postal Code: | 450331 |
| Area Code Type: | Telephone code |
| Area Code: | (+91) 7325 |
| Iso Code: | IN-MP |
| Registration Plate: | MP-68 |
| Named For: | Burhanuddin Gharib |
Burhanpur is a historical city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative seat of Burhanpur District. It is situated on the north bank of the Tapti River and 512km (318miles) northeast of city of Mumbai, 340km (210miles) southwest of the state's capital city of Bhopal. The city is a Municipal Corporation.
Burhanpur was an important town under the Rashtrakuta Dynasty from 753–982. Excavations of the Tapti River and Asirgarh Fort have discovered many coins, goddess idols and temples from the prehistoric era. However, Burhanpur came to prominence during the medieval period.
In 1388, Malik Nasir Khan, the Faruqi dynasty Sultan of Khandesh, discovered Burhanpur, at the behest of Shaikh Zainuddin and named it after a well-known medieval Sufi saint, Burhan-ud-Din. Burhanpur became the capital of the Khandesh sultanate. Later, Miran Adil Khan II (reigned 1457–1501), another sultan of this dynasty, built a citadel and a number of palaces in Burhanpur.[4] During his long reign, Burhanpur was transformed into a major centre for trade and textile production.
In 1601, the Mughal emperor Akbar annexed the Khandesh sultanate and Burhanpur became the capital of Khandesh subah,[5] one of three new top-level provinces in the Mughal empire, added in 1601 (like Berar Subah in 1869 and Ahmadnagar subah in 1601–35) to the initial dozen as he conquered much of the Deccan. The town served as the residence of Khandesh's Mughal governor, Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, during Akbar and Jahangir's rule. He constructed a new water supply for the town, as well as several gardens.[6] In 1609, Mughal emperor Jahangir appointed his second son Parviz to the governorship of the Mughal provinces of the Deccan, and the prince chose Burhanpur as his headquarters and his residence.
Many historical monuments survive in the area around Burhanpur, mainly dating from the rule of the great Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Burhanpur was an important Mughal outpost. Shah Jahan spent a considerable amount of time in this town, and helped add to the Shahi Qila. The Shahi Qila is one majestic palace in Burhanpur, located to the west of the Tapti River. Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas were built on the terrace of the Qila. Little of it remains today, as the Qila is mostly in ruins. However, the parts of the palace that are still standing display exquisite sculpture and carvings. The main attraction at the palace is the hamam or royal bath. It was specifically built for Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal so that she could enjoy a luxurious bath. It is said that she died there while giving birth to her fourteenth child. Even today, the ceiling has many intricate paintings. One of these paintings depicts a monument which is said to have been the inspiration for the Taj Mahal, her final resting place.[7] She was initially buried there for six months before being moved. The original grave called the Aahukhana is in disrepair.[8] [9]
Around 1670 Daud Khan was the Subhadar (Governor) of Khandesh province, under the rule of Aurangzeb.[10]
In the 1720s, the town was taken by the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao during his expedition to Malwa and Delhi. In the 1750s, a Maratha army under Sadashivrao Bhau, who defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad, took control of the town. At the downfall of the Maratha Empire, the town was given to Maratha Sardar Holkar, Scindia, and then finally in 1818 was handed over to British by the Marathas.[11]
Burhanpur is situated on the southwestern border of Madhya Pradesh, near the banks of the Tapti River.[12]
See also: List of cities in Madhya Pradesh.
As 2011 Indian Census, population of Burhanpur in 2011 was 210,886, of which males and females were 108,187 and 102,699 respectively. The population in the age group of 0 to 6 years was 28,930, of which 15,035 were males and 13,895 were females. The total number of literates in Burhanpur was 147,056, which constituted 69.7% of the population with male literacy of 73.3% and female literacy of 65.9%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Burhanpur was 80.8%, of which male literacy rate was 85.1% and female literacy rate was 76.3%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 14,440 and 2,179 respectively. Burhanpur had 38118 households in 2011.[13]
Islam and Hinduism is followed by 50.5% and 45.8 of the population respectively, with small number of Sikhs and Christians.
Urdu is the most commonly spoken language. Hindi and Marathi are the other prominent languages. Gujarati, Sindhi and Marwari are also spoken. Nimadi is the local dialect.[12] [14]
Burhanpur is known for its textile industry. It is the largest hub for the power loom industry in the state. It is also known for having one NTC (National Textile Corporation) project. It has a number of textile companies which are well known for interlining cloths, Grey Markin, Bleached Dhoti, Cambric, Power loom Cloth bakram and other types of fabric. There are also several cotton and oil mills in the city.[15]
Burhanpur was ruled by several dynasties,[16] and consequently has many visitor attractions of historical interest. It has three rivers, the Tapti, the Utavali and the Mohna, with several natural sights for visitors to Burhanpur. The city has four small ghats. Being the home of a very diverse population, Burhanpur has a notable Gurudwara, Masjid,[17] Church, a world-famous Dargah[18]
Burhanpur is well connected to other cities of India via railway network. The city has one railway station, while regular buses are available for travel to nearby cities. The closest airport is Jalgaon Airport, a domestic airport, which is present on south side of the city, while Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport is the nearest customs airport within the state. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is the nearest international airport located in Mumbai in Maharashtra.